photoshop color management

Printing from Photoshop to an inkjet printer. Best Practice.

The "printer manages color" workflow opens up some difficult to comprehend options in the print settings dialog. 

Luckily the "Photoshop Manages Color" option is available because it allows user control of paper profiles and is actually simpler.

When printing, colour management specialists generally agree that you should take control of colour by using "Photoshop Manages Color" and, there, select an ICC profile for the paper you have in the printer. The profile name should include both printer and paper names.
Next in 'printer settings' be sure you have selected the right media by name.*

*IF you just see generic paper types and are using a mac, go back to the System Preferences / Printers and Scanners print and make sure the printer name is selected then that "use" is not set to "Airprint" but to the printer driver by name.
More about the printer driver (and about the folly of using printer manages color) here : https://community.adobe.com/t5/photoshop/colorsync-won-t-shut-off-for-printing/m-p/11686747?page=1#M495503

Non original manufacturer printing papers are OK to use and some prefer them - but, to get started with good colour management its best to keep it simple and make tests using the printer manufacturers own papers - since they have provided ICC profiles and media settings are there in the driver - you're all ready to go.

Additionally, if you want the computer screen to accurately predict print appearance, then it needs to be calibrated and profiled.
For that you'll need a screen sensor - the 'Xrite i1display pro' system is a good place to start.
I prefer to use basICColor display 6 software with that sensor.

Colour management is an end to end process, hardware must be characterised (profiled) and those profiles used when working with images. The display has a "display profile', the image file (document) normally has a "working space profile (e,.g. sRGB)" and the printer has a "printer profile".
An application such as Photoshop which is fully colour management savvy translates between those ICC profiles to provide continuity of appearance through the workflow.

I hope this helps
neil barstow, colourmanagement net :: adobe forum volunteer
google me "neil barstow colourmanagement" for lots of free articles on colour management
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